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Homexpert Simple ways to improve your home comfort, safety and value.
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Summer 2012
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Plumbing Problems in the Good Old Summertime
By <Name> Optional Photo Here
Landscaping for the Allergy Prone Page 3
Money Wise
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Inside This Issue:
Hello Friends, So nice to be back in touch and to have this opportunity to reconnect. Whether you’re vacationing or staying nearby, we hope you’re enjoying some summer fun. With beach trips, lake breaks, pool time and more, a lot of summer fun seems to center around water, doesn’t it? Have you ever thought about all of the ways water is a big part of our lives? Our bodies are made up of about 70 percent water, for example. For that matter, water covers about 70 to 75 percent of the earth itself. Each day in the U.S., we use about 346,000 million gallons of fresh water. And the average person in this country uses anywhere from 80 to 100 gallons of water daily. Flushing toilets ranks as the highest user. So, there’s no question water is a big part of our lives. The
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very season brings its own pressure to bear on the systems that run your home. While your attention on your plumbing may naturally be topof-mind in winter, be aware that summer also has a way of creating pesky, messy problems. Fortunately, many of these can be avoided, and problems of any size have a solution. So, what could your plumbing be facing as the weather warms? Water usage – Water bills can go higher when more people are showering for the day, then reshowering after outdoor activities. Add in watering that comes with lawn care and gardening, and you can get a sense of the extra pressure from greater needs. Adopting a few good habits can help. For example, make sure your sprinklers are watering the lawn, not the house or sidewalk. Run the washing machine and dishwasher only with full loads. And use a broom to clean walkways, not a garden hose.
Clogged toilets – This is a year-round concern, but in summer, if kids are spending more time at home, they may be bringing in more friends more often. The increased activity alone will increase the potential for a clogged toilet. One helpful hint: place a small garbage can next to your toilet. That will help prevent the temptation to throw miscellaneous things into the toilet – saving it instead for its intended use. If you do have a clog, a plunger may solve your problem, but if you’ve got a lodged foreign object or a system backup, give us a call. Leaks – Leaks are another yearround concern – sometimes leading to a big mess, most times leading to a larger water bill. Give your plumbing a regular inspection, checking faucets, toilets, washing machine hoses, icemaker lines, pipes and other equipment for any signs of a leak. Outdoors, don’t forget to check sprinkler heads or pool equipment.
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Inside… • Paint by Numbers • Exercises for Anyone • Hot Summer Nights
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Paint by Numbers
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ainting your home is one of the easiest, most inexpensive ways to spruce up the look while you boost the value. Plus, it’s a simple do-it-yourself project – any mistakes can easily be repainted. So if you’re looking to brighten up your home, here are a few tips: A lower price isn’t always a bargain. Sure, you can spend $10 to $15 on a gallon of paint. But cheaper paints often require more coats and are less durable. Investing in a higher quality paint ($31-$50 per gallon) means a little more upfront, but greater savings and value in the long run. Think twice about trends. Yes, it’s easy to repaint – but you don’t want to look at your walls and say “What was I thinking?” One craze right now? Metallic paints. They’re great for making a statement with a bold look. But these paints often require several coats and can be very expensive. Be sure it’s what you want before you make the leap. Express yourself. Your home’s paint is a great way to express your family’s personality. Are you cozy and warm? Suave and sophisticated? Sleek and modern? Picking the right paint for your family, from color to finish, shows who you are – and makes your guest feel right at home with you.
HealthWise Aquatics – Exercises for Anyone
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ater exercise, aka aquatics, is one of the best non-impact fitness activities you can do. In fact, it’s good for almost everyone, including pregnant women, the elderly, people recovering from injury, as well as those who are overweight or suffering from arthritis. According to the American Council on Exercise, water exercise can encompass all of the components of fitness: cardiovascular fitness, muscular strength and endurance and flexibility. And when done regularly, it can help reduce body fat. The ACE points out that the buoyancy of water reduces the “weight” of a person by about 90%. There’s a corresponding effect – meaning, the stress on weight-bearing joints, bones and muscles is reduced in a similar fashion. And you aren’t as likely to experience injury or sore muscles after a workout. Water creates resistance. It’s denser than air, and a workout can raise the heart rate and tone muscles at the same time. For
example, as you try to maintain your posture while currents push and pull against your body, you’re working core muscles of the abdomen and back, improving posture and reducing risk of back problems. Using hand-held paddles, water chutes and other devices can increase resistance for a more intense workout. This type of resistance also has safety components. When standing in water, you’re not likely to fall down or take a misstep. Also, with water exercise, you’re reducing stress on the joints and bones of the lower body. And as the pressure of water stimulates blood circulation, that’s a good thing for people who have peripheral arterial disease or swelling in the legs. You can find a water fitness class at many YMCAs, community centers and fitness clubs. Look for classes that include a warmup, cardiovascular and muscle conditioning, stretches, balance exercises and a cool down.
Fun Facts • Garter snakes, bear live young, just asormammals do. This space can though be usedreptiles, for trivia, recipes, QR Code for anything you’d like to furnish. • special All continents, with the exception of Antarctica, are wider in the north We can also use than in the south. this space to reference a Web Portal we create
and host for you. This portal can host an online-only article, video, answers questions, coupons • informational One-fourth of the 206 bonestointrivia the human bodyonline are located in and the feet. links to your website to build web traffic and help your SEO.
• More than 100 descendants of Johann Sebastian Bach have been Or you may choose to use this space for an article we furnish that cathedral organists. references a report (that we also furnish) your customers can request you. This helps build interaction, gather email addresses and • from William Howard Taft is the only man ever to have been both chief upsells. justice and president of the United States.
Seasonal Shift Landscaping for the Allergy Prone
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llergy landscaping? Yes, it’s a real concept and an appropriate one, given that the beauty and bounty of springtime are compounded for many by the distress of allergies produced by the lawn and garden. So what’s right as a sight for sore eyes while not being too tough on the respiratory system?
At the same time, flowers that aren’t showy tend to produce more pollen as well. They’re not favored by the bee pollinators, so they depend on the wind to carry their pollen away. In contrast, colorful blooms attract butterflies and bees for pollination. Pollen tends to be deeply embedded in the flowers, but that’s a good thing. If pollen is at the surface instead, that allows for easy dispersal into the air. Check with a nursery to find out which plants aren’t high-pollen producers. Sneezable Grass. Ornamental grasses are also pollen producers as they grow over large areas with flowers that bloom for a long period. Lawn grasses can also be rough
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on allergies, but frequent mowing can minimize flowering. Besides making good choices with an eye to beauty and a nose to allergies, you can also develop good allergy-resistant habits. For example:
Flowers that aren’t showy tend to produce more pollen...
Showoffs Preferred. Generally, non-showy is worse than showy. For better breathing, some of the better tree choices are apple, cherry, red maple, pine, spruce. But you’d want to avoid aspen, birch, elm, oak and pecan, among others. Despite its popularity, the olive tree is a particular culprit, thanks to its barbed pollen.
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Pick the right time. If you garden later in the day, pollen counts tend to be lower, and the wind is calmer. That means less exposure for you.
Choose adequate gardening apparel, including gloves, coveralls, long sleeves, sunglasses, hat and possibly a protective mask. Remove and wash your clothes after gardening. Trim your hedges. If you keep them pruned back, you’ll help keep pollen at bay. The fewer the flowers, the less pollen that gets into the air. Watch where you’re planting. If plants loaded with pollen are near doors and windows, the pollen can get on your clothes as you come in contact with them.
“Quotable” “For summer there, bear in mind, is a loitering gossip, that only begins to talk of leaving when September rises to go.” —George Washington Cable
Take Advantage of Hot Summer Nights
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ummer’s here, the weather is warm, the kids are out of school – it’s the perfect time to enjoy the great outdoors with cookouts and barbecues. Of course, when the sun sets, you may not be ready to move the party indoors. That’s why outdoor lighting is a great way to take advantage of the summer… and deter burglars year-round. But what exactly should you know about lighting? It may be simpler than you think: Uplighting – Use this technique to bring out the drama in lawn features, like trees. As darkness falls, the lighted areas take on a sculpture look. If you use two or more lights, you can create a 3-D effect. Downlighting – This kind of lighting is great for activity areas, especially areas designated for cooking or seating. Downlighting illuminates large areas, allowing use of more lawn space. Plus, the lights can be mounted on almost any tall structure, including trees. Path Lighting – One of the most widely used forms of path lighting is mushroom lights. These are small lights with hoods on top. The hoods cause the light to shine downward, making the path easier to see. Lighting both sides of the path is also helpful.
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More than you may think, actually. You see, burst hoses on washing machines are one of the most common causes of home flooding. The damage can go from the hundreds of dollars up into the thousands. Too bad since prevention costs only a fraction of that. When you get your plumbing system tuned up by <Company>, we don’t just check to see if you have problems. We’ll go ahead and replace your machine’s supply hose at no cost. You tend to the laundry, We’ll tend to the plumbing. Just call <Phone>.
Drain Surgery $25 Off
Got a slow drain? Give us a call. We’ll get it fixed, and you’ll get a $25 discount. Remember, pipes can burst if they aren’t maintained. Unclean pipes can contaminate water. Clogged pipes wear down your faucets and appliances. But we can take care of it all. U
What Does Your Laundry Have to Do With Your Plumbing?
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Sincerely,
problems that are growing in your pipes. Just call us to get started on our Plumbing Maintenance Plan. You’ll save time with prescheduled checks and Priority Service. You’ll save money with a parts discount. And you’ll get a very important They’d also tell you where conversation started with your they feel stresses and pressures pipes. building. But, we can do that too. <COMPANY> at A simple plumbing check-up <PHONE> twice a year can help you eliminate
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In the meantime, we wish you a warm and happy summer.
They’d tell you their concerns. Mostly about how they want to serve you well. They hate bursting and leaking. And they really don’t want to ruin your home’s walls, floors, or ceilings. Or unknowingly deliver contaminated water to you and your family.
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So whether you’ve got a messy mishap, or are thinking ahead to home improvements, or simply want us to make sure everything is working as well as it should, just give us a call.
If your pipes could talk...
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natural connection here is that your plumbing is a big part of your life. Please be assured, we count it as a privilege to be your solution whenever any plumbing problems occur. We know that your plumbing is as integral to the HomePoints operation of Running your clothes and your housedishwasher only when they hold as water are full can save up to 1,000 gallons of water a month. is to the way we live our lives, and you can count on us when you need us.
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